Europe may face 'more deadly weeks' as new heatwave builds, WHO warns

The warning comes after 3,700 excess deaths during June's extreme heat

People walk in the street during a heatwave in Madrid, Spain, Jul 6, 2026. REUTERS/Violeta Santos Moura

The World Health Organization warned on Tuesday that Europe could face “more deadly weeks” ahead, with another intense heatwave forming over the Atlantic.

• Temperatures in Portugal and southern Spain are expected to climb to 43 degrees Celsius (109 degrees Fahrenheit) in the coming days.

• WHO Regional Director for Europe Hans Kluge held an emergency call on Monday with representatives from 41 countries in the region, the European Commission and civil society ⁠groups to discuss lessons from the recent heatwave and preparations for the next one.

• Kluge said in a statement that countries with heat-health action plans in place responded more quickly and better protected their populations during the June heatwave.

• However, he said that less than half of WHO's European member states had such a plan in place.

• Experts have said the Jun 20-28 heatwave was the most severe recorded in Europe, causing ⁠disruption to power generation, damaging infrastructure and overwhelming healthcare systems.

• The extreme heat was almost certainly driven by climate change, scientists said.

• France, the Netherlands and Belgium recorded 3,700 excess deaths, with authorities warning that the numbers are preliminary and ⁠could rise.

• Temperatures hit 40 degrees Celsius in parts of Europe during the heatwave.

• Kluge said care home residents, homeless people and socially isolated older adults were still ⁠not being reached consistently across Europe.

• "The work now is on two fronts: fixing what failed in recent weeks before the next ⁠heatwave hits and building the kind of health systems that don’t just respond to extreme heat but are ready for it," Kluge said.